ABSTRACT
Broadcasters have been known to meditate, using various methods, to achieve a state of relaxation prior to air time, and many have devised their own techniques for unwinding before the on-air light flashes. Long-time New England radio voice performer Allen Ford finds singing in an operatic fashion before going on-mic calms him, while New Jersey announcer Gunther Purdue regains composure by standing on his head in the newsroom minutes before broadcast. Voice quality does not hinge exclusively on the maximum utilization of the voice box. A broadcast voice performer improves his or her “listenability” by varying tone and pitch. By focusing on the preparation of material needed for broadcast, an announcer feels less tentative about performing. Pronunciation problems can stem from several factors. Phonetics is a common-sense method to help announcers pronounce words correctly.
